Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

This updated classic remains the gold standard on the topic, as it is thorough, well written, and easy to read. It balances solid teaching with biblical principles and includes spot-on examples. To top it off, it is written in a style that “hits home”. Among its topics are boundary definitions, problems, and myths. An outstanding chapter covers the ten laws of boundaries. A whole section covers boundary conflicts with family, friends, spouse, children, work, the digital age, yourself and God. An excellent chapter is “How to Measure Success with Boundaries”, a checklist of 11 steps to gauge your own health with regard to boundaries. The book’s first and last chapters give examples of people living first without and then with boundaries. Cloud and Townsend, in their masterful job of delineating clearly the large and small issues surrounding boundaries, include many nuggets of truth that give new perspectives to old issues, such as this one about the different between punishment and discipline, found on page 174: “Punishment looks back. It focuses on making payment for wrongs done in the past. Christ’s suffering was payment, for example, for our sin. Discipline, however, looks forward. The lessons we learn from discipline help us not to make the same mistakes again: ‘God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness’ (Heb. 12:10).” There is much to be learned and gained from reading or re-reading this wonderful work. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.